AUNT MARTHA'S HEALTH & WELLNESS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Chief of Staff
- President
- Title / Chief of Staff / Leadership Team
Allison Van Gerpen is the Chief of Staff for Aunt Martha's President and CEO. In her role, Allison works directly with the Executive Leadership team to support Aunt Martha's critical organizational initiatives. She has previously served as the Executive Assistant to the President and CEO for 4 years, prior to her previous role in the Behavior Health Operations as a Project Manager. Before joining Aunt Martha's in 2016, she worked within the Presence Hospital System specializing in Children's Behavioral Health serving as a mental Health Counselor. Allison is a graduate of Iowa State University where she earned her Bachelors of Science Degree in Child, Adult, and Family Services. Allison holds a Master of Science in Communication Degree from Northwestern University.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer of Aunt Martha 's Health & Wellness
- Title / Chief Operating Officer
Job Titles:
- Title / Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Charles K. Barron, Jr., is Aunt Martha's first Chief Medical Officer. He is a 1994 graduate of the University of Iowa College of Medicine. He also holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration, which he earned at Olivet Nazarene University.
Dr. Barron is Certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. He earned a Certification as a Physician Executive from the American Association for Physician Leadership, as well as a Post-Masters Certification in Health Care Informatics from the University of Illinois-Chicago.
Before joining Aunt Martha's in September 2016, Dr. Barron honed his clinical and administrative skills at Access Community Health Network. He served as an Associate Medical Director from 2000 to 2007, when he became a Regional Medical Director. Since 2013, he also served as the organization's lead provider for Clinical Quality.
In addition to his academic and professional achievements, Dr. Barron maintains professional affiliations with the National Association of Healthcare Services, The American Board of Family Medicine and the American Medical Informatics Association. He is an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Job Titles:
- Chief Clinical Officer at Aunt Martha 's Health
- Counselor in the State of Illinois
- Title / Chief Clinical Officer
Dr. Parker is the Chief Clinical Officer at Aunt Martha's Health and Wellness. She has 20 years of experience in the behavioral health field and 10 years in higher education. Her experience spans from being a Director II at a social service organization that provided collaborative care, medical detoxification director, adjunct professor both in the addictions and psychology, hospital setting psychiatric care, managed care experience including consultant work for MCOs, and private practice work.
Dr. Parker has worked with many at-risk populations such as children/adolescent, pregnant women, veterans, addictions, the forensic and medically compromised populations.
She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology at Roosevelt University, a Master's degree in Developmental Psychology with a post-graduate certificate in Psychological Assessments from National Louis University, and a Doctorate Degree in Counseling Psychology from Argosy University.
Dr. Parker is a certified addiction counselor in the state of Illinois, holds a national Master Addiction Counselor Certification, is a Certified Professional Patient Advocate, and holds a Clinical Professional Counselor license in the state of Illinois. In addition to her role at Aunt Martha's, Dr. Parker works in a private practice and is an adjunct professor for graduate psychology and addictions.
Job Titles:
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- Vice President of Child Welfare Services of Cook County South
Iris is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sociology from Northern Illinois University and a Master's of Social Work from Governor's State University.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President, Social Determinants of Health
Jamie Dornfeld spent over a decade at Aunt Martha's before she was picked in 2019 to lead DCFS' transition of more than 40,000 youth into Illinois' Medicaid managed care system. She drew on her deep experience working with teams of health care, child welfare, and community wellness experts. The support she earned for that transformational effort reflected her inate ability to connect with people, from foster parents and adoptive parents to child welfare advocates and legislators.
Jamie returned to Aunt Martha's in 2021. She leads the agency's work to address the social determinants of health. As Executive Vice President, Jamie plays a key role in maintaining strong partnerships and building new ones with community-based organizations and hospitals. These are the cornerstones of an integrated collaborative landscape. Jamie is passionate about serving individuals and communities in need. She is committed to expanding access to care.
Jamie has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She enjoys continuing her education with executive programs like those she completed at Harvard Business School, UCLA Anderson School of Management, and University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Job Titles:
- Chief Legal and Administrative Officer
- Title / Chief Legal and Administrative Officer
Jessica L. Cummings is Chief Legal and Administrative Officer. She started at Aunt Martha's in February 2016 as Chief Legal and Compliance Officer and was promoted to her current role in November 2019. She most recently served as Corporate Counsel and Human Resources Officer for Pilsen Wellness Center. Her previous experience includes work as the Director of Communications & Policy for the Chicago City Council's 12th Ward, a Staff Attorney at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, and a Marketing Representative at Cessna Aircraft.
Jessica graduated magna cum laude from Wichita State University with a Bachelor's in Business Administration, where she majored in Marketing and Entrepreneurship and was a member of the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society and the Beta Gamma Sigma International Business Honor Society. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law, where she was a CALI Award winner in Privacy Law and was named to the Dean's List multiple semesters. An article co-authored by Jessica regarding unauthorized juror communications was published in the Illinois Bar Journal in 2011.
She is a member of the Illinois State Bar, Chicago Bar Association, and Illinois State Bar Association.
Job Titles:
- Immediate past Chair
- Member of the Aunt Marthas Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair of the Aunt Marthas Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Certified Public Accountant
- Chief Financial Officer
- Title / Chief Financial Officer
Mary Martin, Chief Financial Officer. Mary Martin joined Aunt Martha's in 2006 and has served as the organization's current Chief Financial Officer since April 2014. During her years of service at Aunt Martha's, Ms. Martin has also served as Chief Compliance Officer, prior-Chief Financial Officer and Controller.
Ms. Martin has over 20 years of financial management experience. Before joining Aunt Martha's she served as the Public Service Administrator at the Illinois Veterans Home at Manteno (IVHM), where she was responsible for all facets of the organization's financial strategy, planning, management and accounting. Prior to her time at IVHM, Ms. Martin practiced in public accounting where she led audit consulting engagement and financial advisory services for a wide range of for-profit industries, as well as governmental entities and not-for-profit organizations.
Ms. Martin is a Certified Public Accountant. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Governors State University and a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Corporate Compliance from George Washington University.
Job Titles:
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- Vice President of Child Wellness
Mia Collins is Vice President of Child Wellness. Mia has over 25 years of experience in child welfare, behavioral health and addiction. In 2004, she joined Aunt Martha's Health and Wellness. She oversees Child Welfare Services (CWS) Northern region, Integrated Care Center (ICC) Stepdown, Parenting, LifeSet, Clinical Intervention for Placement Preservation (CIPP) and Countdown to 21 (C21).
Mia graduated from Chicago State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, Master of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Social Work. She continues her education, pursuing a PhD in Organizational Development and Leadership.
Mia is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). She believes in a holistic approach to service. Individualized integrated care is essential to exceptional health and wellness. She is a humanitarian, philanthropist, and advocate. She is committed to community and improving the lives of children, adolescents, and adults she serves.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer of the Aunt Marthas Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Aunt Martha 's CEO
- President and Chief Executive Officer of Aunt Martha 's Health
- Title / President & CEO
Raul Garza is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Aunt Martha's Health & Wellness, leading a $90 million system of integrated health care, community wellness, and child welfare services with more than 35 locations, including 26 community health centers. With locations in 14 counties and over 850 employees, Aunt Martha's reaches more than 125,000 patients and clients, and impacts the lives of children and adults in over 650 communities across Illinois.
Mr. Garza became Aunt Martha's CEO in 2009, and was named the organization's President and CEO in 2013. In the years since, Aunt Martha's has invested more than $30 million to develop its integrated care model incorporating primary care, mental health, and substance abuse treatment. The agency was the first FQHC in Illinois to be certified as a Primary Care Medical Home (2014), and has recognized as a Health Center Quality Leader by the Health Resources and Services Administration for 5 consecutive years
At his core, Mr. Garza is a passionate advocate for underserved and vulnerable individuals and communities. In a rapidly changing health care environment, and an ongoing period of tumult for Illinois' human service providers, he continues to be an outspoken proponent of value-based care and cross-sector collaboration.
Mr. Garza joined Aunt Martha's in 1993 after serving 10 years in the United States Air Force as an Executive and Budget Officer. He worked as the organization's Chief Financial Officer from 1993 to 2002 when he transitioned into the role of Chief Operations Officer. His educational background includes a Master's of Science degree in Management Communications from Northwestern University; an MBA from the University of Chicago's Booth Graduate School of Business; and a Master's of Science degree in Public Service from DePaul University.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Aunt Marthas Board of Directors